V-Flyer

The worlds (un) favourite airline have been discriminating against British based fare payers according to this article in the Daily Mail Financial section
http://www.thisismoney.com/20040523/nm78560.html

This happens all the time though.

Look how much it is for a Upper Class return from JNB or CPT to LHR and then compare it to a return from LHR to JNB/CPT.

All about local market conditions. The classic case is the BA Club/First fares from Portugal, th flights have to route via LHR anyway, but were substantially cheaper.

If you want a better example of British tax ripoff in regards to travel, go look at how much tax you get charged on a Uk departure. Then look at how much it goes up for a Premium Economy flight - its £20 more as you are flying in a Premium Cabin - yet when Concorde was around it was charged at the standard rate of tax as it was all class of service. I flew to NYC in March with Virgin on a £150 MpM ticket - over £60 of it was taxes. Go figure. I can't remember the exact figure, but there is around £8 of facilties figures (UB I think) for the toilets etc at the airport, and how many people pass thru LHR each year (65m or so).

Its a testament to the British airlines that they survive, in the example above VS got about £90 for my flights yet they have paid for a lot - when the US carriers wanted to fit some of the security features that VS had implemented, they went cap in hand to the US government.

Thanks,
Richard

Yep, seems a bit harsh of the article to pick on BA when its pretty much the same across all airlines.

Poor journalism. If the journalist had bothered to explore the facts (and had perhaps asked someone other than the editor of a sister website) then perhaps he would have understood that:

(a) Differential pricing happens everywhere

(b) It is possible to buy tickets from Europe to the UK using a UK credit card on Expedia etc. as an alternative to buying direct from BA

(c) You can phone the local BA call centre in France, Lisbon or wherever using a UK credit card and get local pricing

And as for the quote "It just shows that companies simply charge what they think the local market will put up with", this is (i) how capitalism works and (ii) a tad rich coming from a site owned by Associated Newspapers who own three very pro-capitalism papers.

BC

£3800 2xBA first class from Lisbon to Seattle, LHR-SEA same flight 2x BA first class £15700 I will be in Lisbon on Friday night not London.I will post a report on my return.

Ata-boy Chris!

BTW, what are you going to do with all the money you saved?

quote:BTW, what are you going to do with all the money you saved?

A bloke down the local has just taken delivery of a Bentley continental GT that looks quite nice:D


Seriously if that Lisbon fare was not avalible there's no way on earth I would have paid the full fare price.

Mmm Bentley, he'll need just as much as the purchase price again to keep it topped up with fuel for the first year....

Are you down for the Centurion day at Bentley?

Thanks,
Richard

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
Mmm Bentley, he'll need just as much as the purchase price again to keep it topped up with fuel for the first year....

Are you down for the Centurion day at Bentley?

Thanks,
Richard

The notification for the 5000MR points Bentley do came two bloody days after I transferred 11k points to my FC account so unless we quickly accumulate another 5k spend I will miss it [:(]

Just got an invite to the LV Classic courtesy of Niki Scordi, the manager in Sloane Street so will be going to that [8D]

Thats a bummer - I keep all my stuff in my MR account until I need them as it doesn't take long for a transfer to my VS account.

Shame they are stringent on the 26 age requirement

Thanks,
Richard

quote:Are you down for the Centurion day at Bentley

No black card only a pleb plat so no[V]

quote:Mmm Bentley, he'll need just as much as the purchase price again to keep it topped up with fuel for the first year....

The continetal GT is only slightly more thirsty than my V8 Jeep[:0]

quote:Originally posted by jaguarpig

The continetal GT is only slightly more thirsty than my V8 Jeep[:0]

...and only slightly more expensive too! [:p]

But A LOT quicker! (but then again, so is a VW polo) :D:D:D:D:D

I cannot talk really, my two cars are a Range Rover and a ZT-T, one quick, one big and V thirsty:D:D

quote:...and only slightly more expensive too!

Its all a matter of fund management, bentley and a week in a skeggy caravan or jeep and lots of travel.

quote:But (but then again, so is a VW polo)

Im not having that[:(!] a polo is only slightly quicker not A LOT quicker!.

I had in the past, a deisel version of the Range Rover, that WAS fun trying to cross a main highway (like the Fosse way) 0-60 in 2 days 3 hours! I do want to se what the new deisels for Land rover are going to be like, but until then, PETROL!

quote:I had in the past, a diesel version of the Range Rover, that WAS fun trying to cross a main highway (like the Fosse way) 0-60 in 2 days 3 hours! I do want to se what the new diesels for Land rover are going to be like, but until then, PETROL!

I had a look at the new Grand Cherokee at the NY motor show last month looked quite nice with a new bigger 5.7 litre petrol block.The 4.7 I've got goes like excrement off of a shovel much quicker than the Range Rover V8 I have had on test(the RR is far superior in every other aspect but then it costs twice as much), they both like their drinkies though.

quote:Originally posted by AlanA
...0-60 in 2 days 3 hours!

You had the quick one then Alan?

quote:Originally posted by Bazz

quote:Originally posted by AlanA
...0-60 in 2 days 3 hours!

You had the quick one then Alan?

Only when going downhill with the optional extra sail on the roof :D:D:D

I remember test driving a Range Rover Vogue when the new shape came out - two quotes that come to mind:

'Living Room on Wheels'
'Handles like a boat, actually no the QM2 probably handles better'

Can't really beat your German cars unless we step up to Astons and Ferrari's...

Thanks,
Richard

quote:Originally posted by RichardMannion
>

Can't really beat your German cars unless we step up to Astons and Ferrari's...

Thanks,
Richard

Well I must agree that the German's build fine automobiles. I've owned BMW's, MB's, and an Audi V8, and my Ferrari 328GTB was an absolutely marvelous beast to drive (but really nasty expensive to keep up )

I really must, however, put in a good word for my current automobile ... a Jaguar S-Type R. The creature performs almost as well as my Ferrari's used to, yet it comfortably carries me, my wife, and our two teenagers with a great deal of style.

The old "curse of the British cars" (i.e.; own three -- one in the shop, one to drive, and one as a spare) and the "Lucas --- Prince of Darkness" electronics with which those of us here in the US grew up seems to have been fully cured --- and the cost, both of initial purchase and maintainance, has been very reasonable. I guess that Ford's massive infusion of cash coupled with the design and style of the British, has really given Jaguar a new lease on life here in the States.

All that would improve things would be some roads with no speed limits!

Jim McD
Palsgraf948

quote:Originally posted by Palsgraf948
[All that would improve things would be some roads with no speed limits!

What like in Sacramento? Oh sorry, they only seem to think there are no speed limits there...

quote:Originally posted by Decker
What like in Sacramento? Oh sorry, they only seem to think there are no speed limits there...

ROFL

Well I live down in San Jose (near Campbell/Saratoga) and I must admit that in our neck of the woods anything slower than 75 mph had better stay out of the fast lane.

It would be nice though to see how well the Jag handles at sustained "triple digit" speeds. I've gotten to an indicated 140 ... but really don't dare stay there too long. Insurance can be hiddeously expensive in California! [}:)]

Jim McDonald
Palsgraf948

Well FWIW my car (like most cars here) is governed at about 155 but I pretty much never top 100 here as you're basically waving goodbye to your license if stopped. Take delivery of a new car in July and I was SO tempted to pick it up from the factory in Germany just so I could use the autobahns on the way back and try to max it out. Work pressures prevent unfortunately.

Nice area to live BTW Good diving off San Diego too...

Yep, got caught coming back from Birmingham Airport on the M42/M40 junction, was accelerating still when the cops came round the bend, caught me at 95 MPH, if I had not seen them, it would have been worse

Had a BMW, hated every moment of it ownership, hateful car.

quote:I really must, however, put in a good word for my current automobile ... a Jaguar S-Type R.

I must agree with Palsgraf948's endorsement. I've had an S-Type R for nearly two years now. Having owned a few exotic and many not so exotic cars over the years - although sadly never a Ferrari - this is the best. Drove it to Berlin last year and managed a few miles of sustained speeds of 130-150 mph - where legal of course!

Its been totally reliable apart from a tranmission problem where I couldn't select gears manually - solved by soft- or firmware upgrade, not sure which. On the same day that was being done I took my multiregion DVD player back to the dealer because it had stopped playing Region 1 DVDs. They upgraded the software and its been fine since. Doesn't anthing mechanical go wrong these days. And what has this got to do with BA fares?